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Do Firearm Markets Comply with Firearm Restrictions? How the Massachusetts Assault Weapons Ban Enforcement Notice Changed Registered Firearm Sales

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  • Meenakshi Balakrishna
  • Kenneth C. Wilbur

Abstract

How well do firearm markets comply with firearm restrictions? The Massachusetts Attorney General issued an Enforcement Notice in 2016 to announce a new interpretation of the key phrase “copies and duplicates” in the state's assault weapons ban. The Enforcement Notice increased assault rifle sales by 1349 (+560%) within 5 days, followed by a reduction of 211 (−58%) over the next 3 weeks. Assault rifle sales were 64%–66% lower in 2017 than in comparable earlier periods, suggesting that the Enforcement Notice reduced assault weapon sales but also that many banned weapons continued to be sold.

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  • Meenakshi Balakrishna & Kenneth C. Wilbur, 2022. "Do Firearm Markets Comply with Firearm Restrictions? How the Massachusetts Assault Weapons Ban Enforcement Notice Changed Registered Firearm Sales," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(1), pages 60-89, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:empleg:v:19:y:2022:i:1:p:60-89
    DOI: 10.1111/jels.12307
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